Over the past several years, Iceland has emerged as a vibrant center for medical and scientific innovation, with Kerecis at the forefront in the area of wound healing and tissue repair.
The discovery of intact fish skin grafts and research on its surgical applications has led surgeons to develop new treatment protocols that have changed the way they practice reconstructive surgery. In this symposium leading researchers will gather to present surgical techniques and their corresponding treatment algorithms that are designed to shorten length of stay in hospital and reduce the need for autografting.
Previous Kerecis Symposiums have also had the privilege of hosting guest such as president of Iceland, Gudni Th. Johannesson, former Icelandic president, Olafur R. Grimsson, Iceland’s Minister of Health and Innovation, the U.S. ambassador to Iceland, and Admiral Matthias Winters of the U.S. Navy.
The Minneapolis Surgical Symposium will take place on August 8th and 9th, 2025. The chairs of the symposium will be joined by clinical proctors to demonstrate the application techniques along with other reconstructive best practices. The workshop’s purpose is to receive hands-on training on the application of intact fish skin grafts and muscle and cutaneous flaps. Further, the lab intends to disseminate clinical best practices and applications and discuss future regenerative research.
PLEASE NOTE: Attendance at the Kerecis Minneapolis Surgical Symposium is for residency programs and for practicing surgeons in the field of Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Foot and Ankle Surgery, with a focus on tissue injuries and reconstructive procedures for:
This Symposium is currently only available for Healthcare Professionals practicing in the United States
Attendees are required to provide active participation in the full symposium, discussions, and active feedback in the form of answering follow-up questions
Standard fare air travel, meals, and lodging are covered by Kerecis for attending doctors and medical professionals for the duration of the workshop. Travel has to be booked by Kerecis; self-booked travel arrangements will not be reimbursed. Kerecis does not pay for family members and/or spouses.
Government employees are not eligible to participate in this event without prior written approval.
The Minneapolis Surgical Symposium is a one evening, one morning event open to eligible surgeons. Air travel*, meals and lodging for those one night is covered by Kerecis for participating doctors and medical professionals.
Dr. James Cottom is an orthopedic fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon at Florida Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center in Sarasota, Florida. He specializes in trauma and reconstructive surgery of the foot, ankle, and leg, and is also extensively trained in the conservative and surgical treatment of diabetic conditions affecting the lower extremity, including limb salvage. Dr. Cottom also serves as the Fellowship Director of the Florida Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center’s 12-month Foot and Ankle Fellowship.
Dr. Cottom graduated Magna Cum Laude from Scholl College/ Finch University, in Chicago, Illinois in 2002. He then completed a three-year surgical residency in reconstructive and trauma surgery of the foot and ankle at the Detroit Medical Center/ Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Following residency Dr. Cottom completed a 12-month surgical fellowship at the prestigious Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Cottom is one of only a few podiatric surgeons in the United States and the only one in the state of Florida that has completed this fellowship program. He also completed an Ilizarov and AO fellowship.
Dr. Cottom has authored over 60 peer reviewed papers and book chapters. He has won research awards both at the state and national levels for his work. Cottom is very active in lecturing in the United States and internationally on the latest techniques in foot & ankle surgery as well as teaching other surgeons advanced techniques.
Dr. Dane Daley, a fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic hand surgeon, serves as the division chair of orthopedic hand and microvascular surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, brachial plexus surgery, and congenital hand surgery. Dr. Daley earned his medical degree from East Tennessee State University Medical School, completed his residency at MUSC, and pursued a fellowship in hand surgery at OrthoCarolina. He leads orthopedic surgical mission work in Bonne Fin, Haiti, and actively works to enhance the quality of hand surgery in the Charleston area as the president of the Charleston Hand Society.
The Minneapolis Surgical Symposium(Fish to Function) is a one-evening, one-morning event. For attending surgeons, Kerecis covers standard airfare, one night’s lodging, and meals for the duration of the workshop in return for full participation in the symposium and the follow-up surveys. Kerecis does not pay or reimburse for travel arrangements for family members, including spouses.
Attire for the symposium is business casual.
Protective clothes and covering will be provided during hands-on sessions as needed.
All flights will be scheduled by Kerecis. If you have registered for the event, you should have been contacted by our agent to schedule the flight. If you have not yet had any emails from us or our agent, please contact us at events@kerecis.com.
Hotel: Hewing Hotel
Lab: Coloplast Bio-Skills Cadaver Lab – 1601 West River Road North – Minneapolis, MN 55411
